 | Richard Smith has been in the Auto Body Industry for 26 years. He is ASE Certified Master Collision Tech, an I-Car Platinum Tech, and an I-Car Instructor. He and His wife own and operate Sharp's Auto Body & Collision Inc. located at 202 North Elm St. in Pittsburg, Kansas. He is a father of 5 children, Ex Military E-6 Staff SGT. and is active in his home Church. The one thing he enjoys doing is educating the public about the safety and proper repair of automobiles, no matter if it is a vehicle that has been in a collision, a small dent, or a complete restoration. The shop is always equipped with a skilled professional to handle your auto needs. |
Automotive Service & Repair
2013-03-01 14:45:45
Rust over the wheel well
Q-Why is my truck rusting out over the wheel well and the rocker panel?
A-People undercoat new vehicles thinking it will help prevent rust. However, the problem in the rural area we live in, is a lot of people drive down dirt roads, which causes a stir up in dust, blown dust, etc packing it directly in the wheel well and rocker panel.
This creates a problem because those areas are less frequently washed. In the rockers, there are actual drain vents to let condensation and moisture out. However, once the dust begins to build up, it will start plugging the drain route to escape. Why is dust over time a problem? Because the weather in the area we live in. We have rapidly fluctuating temperatures, which causes condensation more frequently. Condensation then turns dust into mud, and as mud sits on inside metal, it will eat that inside "protective" coating off, exposing the metal. So a lot of vehicles you will see with rust actually starts from the "inside out" so to speak.
How do you prevent this? Take it to the dealership or a body shop. They will have to take off certain parts of the vehicle, and will use a rust preventative that will properly coat these and help prevent rust from forming. If you've had the vehicle for a while, you can blow/powerwash things and cover with wax to try and re-protect it. On rocker panels you need to make sure the drain hole is clean, etc. Generally doing this type of cleaning you may want to see a professional, because you will have to remove and re-install parts of the vehicles that need coated. The coatings on new vehicles are much better than what they used to be, but you still have the chance of the vehicle rusting. With people keeping vehicles longer nowadays, it is ideal to keep rust away from your vehicle, this is especially true and you will be happy when you go to sell your rust free vehicle.
